A 10-year-old Pennsylvania girl has died after attempting the “Blackout Challenge” that gained popularity on TikTok earlier this year.
“I’m so hurt. This is a pain that won’t go away. It’s at the top of my throat. I am so hurt,” Tawainna Anderson told ABC 7 after losing her daughter, Nyla Anderson, this month.
Instead of celebrating the holidays with the whole family this year, Nyla Anderson’s loved ones are preparing to say their farewells to the Chester Community Charter School student at her memorial service on Christmas Eve.
She died on Dec. 12 while attempting the dangerous social-media challenge, which encourages users to choke themselves until they lose consciousness.
“She happened to be in her own bedroom of her house, with her family at home. But no one was in the bedroom with her when this happened, so there was no one there to save her,” said Elizabeth Wood, a licensed clinical social worker at the local hospital, according to ABC 7.
The 10-year-old’s mother described her as a “happy child” who was also smart as a whip and had a knack for learning languages—she spoke three of them.
But even her smarts weren’t enough to protect her from the “Blackout Challenge,” her mother warned, urging other parents to be vigilant.
“Make sure you check your kids’ phones. You never know what you might find on their phones. You wouldn’t think 10-year-olds would try this. They’re trying because they’re kids and they don’t know better.”
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